United

Kingdoms
Air Pollution

Absalon, Diane Paula D.

Baluyut, Angelica
De Guzman, Aeillen
De Guzman, Aira
Pangilinan, Pamela
Reyes, Giane

Fact:
United Kingdom currently ranks 8 on the TOP 10 Worlds Air Polluted
Countries.
The United Kingdom emits five hundred eighty six tonnes (586 T) of
Carbon Dioxide each year

Causes of Air Pollution in UK

Sulphur dioxide
Nitrogen oxides
Particular matter (PM10, PM2.5 and PM1)
Ozone and volatile organic compounds
Toxic Organic Micro-Pollutants (TOMPS)
Benzene
1,3-Butadiene
Carbon monoxide
Lead and heavy metals

Effects of Air Pollution in UK

A variety of air pollutants have known or suspected harmful effects on
human health and the environment. In most areas of Europe, these
pollutants are principally the products of combustion from space heating,
power generation or from motor vehicle traffic. Pollutants from these
sources may not only prove a problem in the immediate vicinity of these
sources but can travel long distances.

Health Effects
Generally if you are young and in a good state of health, moderate air
pollution levels are unlikely to have any serious short term effects.
However, elevated levels and/or long term exposure to air pollution can
lead to more serious symptoms and conditions affecting human health.
This mainly affects the respiratory and inflammatory systems, but can also
lead to more serious conditions such as heart disease and cancer. People
with lung or heart conditions may be more susceptible to the effects of air
pollution.

The table below shows the types of health effects experienced by the
most common pollutants at elevated levels:

Effects on the environment

Air pollution causes damage to plants and animals, affecting biodiversity
and crop yields.

UKs Solution for Air Pollution

To show the seriousness of U.K.s desire to reduce its carbon dioxide
emission, it is already planning to create wind farms. The wind farms that
it plans to build even bigger than the existing once.

> UK and EU Air Quality Policy Context

Action to manage and improve air quality is largely driven by European
(EU) legislation. The 2008 ambient air quality directive (2008/50/EC) sets
legally binding limits for concentrations in outdoor air of major air
pollutants that impact public health such as particulate matter (PM10 and
PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). As well as having direct effects, these
pollutants can combine in the atmosphere to form ozone, a harmful air
pollutant (and potent greenhouse gas) which can be transported great
distances by weather systems.
The 2008 directive replaced nearly all the previous EU air quality
legislation and was made law in England through the Air Quality
Standards Regulations 2010, which also incorporates the 4th air quality
daughter directive (2004/107/EC) that sets targets for levels in outdoor air
of certain toxic heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
Equivalent regulations exist in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

 Separate legislation exists for emissions of air pollutants with the main
legislation being the UNECE Gothenburg Protocol which sets national
emission limits (ceilings) for SO2, NOX, NH3 and volatile organic
compounds for countries to meet from 2010 onwards. Similar ceilings
have since been set in European law under the 2001 National Emission
Ceilings Directive (2001/81/EC), which was subsequently made into UK
law as the National Emission Ceilings Regulations 2002.
The European Commission is required to review the directive in 2013 and
it is expected that they will initiate work with stakeholders and Member
States later in 2011. The review is expected to look at strengthening
provisions for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and consolidate the 4th Air
Quality Daughter Directive.

UK Level: National and Local Authorities

In the UK, responsibility for meeting air quality limit values is devolved to
the national administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has
responsibility for meeting the limit values in England and the Department
for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) co-ordinates assessment
and air quality plans for the UK as a whole.
The UK Government and the devolved administrations are required under
the Environment Act 1995 to produce a national air quality strategy. This
was last reviewed and published in 2007. The strategy sets out the UKs
air quality objectives and recognises that action at national, regional and
local level may be needed, depending on the scale and nature of the air
quality problem.

Part IV of the Environment Act 1995 and Part II of the Environment

(Northern Ireland) Order 2002 requires local authorities in the UK to
review air quality in their area and designate air quality management
areas if improvements are necessary. Where an air quality management
area is designated, local authorities are also required to work towards the
Strategys objectives prescribed in regulations for that purpose. An air
quality action plan describing the pollution reduction measures must then
be put in place. These plans contribute to the achievement of air quality
limit values at local level.